Museo de las Casas Reales

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During my trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in June 2023, I visited Museo de las Casas Reales [Museum of the Royal Houses] on Calle Las Damas in Ciudad Colonial. Also known as Palacio de los Gobernadores [Palace of the Governors], this 512-year-old building housed artifacts related to European settlement on Hispaniola. The building served its original purpose as a government office from its construction in 1511 to 1821, when then-president of Spanish Haiti, Don José Núñez de Cáceres, declared the island independent from Spain. The Trujillo government modified the building in 1947 to store an armory and weapon collection. The constitutional government restored the building in 1973 and kept the museum open to the public since 1976.

Courtyard at Museo de las Casa Reales; stone paved courtyard with two-story stone building on the left. In the middle of the courtyard is a statue of a friar. Museo de Las Casas Reales stone sign Door the Museo de las Casa Reales; a Spanish Renaissance style wooden door surrounded by stone wall

In the entrance of Muso de las Casa Reales, a large mural depicted a conquistador, likely Diego Colón, the son of Cristóbal Colón [Christopher Columbus], standing beside a cacique or leader of the Taíno. At the front desk, visitors picked up audio guides in their chosen languages. The bottom floor was filled with portraits, maps, and other artifacts from Spanish exploration. An oliphant, or carved elephant horn, portrayed Spanish conquistadores fighting on horseback. A model of the Santa Maria, the ship used by Cristobal Colón when exploring the Caribbean on his first voyage, sat inside a plexiglass case. A lifesized portrait showed Arzobispo Alejandro Geraldini, the first archbishop of Santo Domingo who is buried in Catedral Primada de América, sitting in his red robe with an open book, likely a Bible, on his lap. Plaques around the room described the firsts of the Americas that took place in Santo Domingo. The first catechism and the first alphabetization of an American indiginous language took place in the city. Fray Ramón Pané, a Hieronymite friar, recorded the culture and language of the Taíno beginning in 1494. Fray Juan de la Deule and Fray Juan de Tisin, a pair of Franciscan friars, taught catechism to the Taíno beginning the same year. Not to be forgotten was Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, a Dominican friar, who became “Protector of the Indians” in 1544, fifty years after the introduction of Catholicism to Hispaniola.

Mural in the Lobby of Museo de las Casa Reales; a conquistador and a Taíno leader stand together Oliphant; carved elephant horn portraying Spanish conquistadores fighting on horseback Model of the Santa Maria
Portrait of Arzobispo Alejandro Geraldini; a tonsured man sitting on a throne and wearing a red robe with an open book, likely a Bible, on his lap Another Boat Model; It looks like the Santa Maria, but it's not. It's another boat. Taíno Mortar and Pestles and Vases

Colorful, stylized maps depicted multiple aspects of Hispaniolan, American, and transatlantic geography. A three-dimensional, topographic map showed the changes in elevation from the beaches to the mountains of the island. A map titled Principales Productos de Exportacion [Principal Products of Exportation] used colorful triangles and dots to demonstrate the valuable goods of North and South America during early transatlantic trade, including cocoa, cocaine, textiles, shells, sugar, and tobacco. A massive map focused on the Atlantic Ocean denoted the exploration routes between the Iberian Peninsula and the Carribbean. The plaque of “firsts” in this section described the first sugar plantations in the Americas, where enslaved indiginous Americans and enslaved Africans harvested sugarcane and processed the stalks into sugar cones or loafs.

Three Dimensional Topographic Map of Hispaniola Transatlantic Trade Map; a close-up of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding land, with lines displaying routes between the Iberian Peninsula and the Caribbean Principal Products of Exportation Map; North and South America with colorful triangles and dots shows where goods were produced.

The last section of the ground floor held items of transportation and a replica of a colonial pharmacy. I was surprised to find a familiar black carriage that looked no different than the carriages at many New England museums. A special bonus of this exhibit was a replica of a bright orange and yellow coachman outfit worn by a mannequin. Nearby was a sedan chair, a comfortable traveling booth attached to a pair of poles carried by two strong young men. The replica pharmacy contained long, tall shelves holding ceramic containers of ingredients used to make medicine. A blue design on each container indicated the herb stored inside. The strangest artifact in the room was a taxidermy turtle, as these animals were once used in traditional medicine.

Smaller Courtyard at Museo de las Casa Reales; looking through a stone arch doorway into a stone paved courtyard with a two-story stone building on either side. 19th Century Black Carriage at Museo de las Casa Reales 18th Century Sedan Chair at Museo de las Casa Reales
Pharmacy Cabinet; double doors at the front made of wooden lattice open to reveal painted drawers inside. Each drawer is painted with a landscape design. Full Pharmacy; a table and chairs at the center of the room. A large wood and glass shelving unit holding ceramic jars on the left. A small taxidermied turtle hangs on the wall in the back. Pharmacy Shelves; a shelving unit with four sections and bottom cabinets. The upper shelves hold ceramic jars painted with a blue design indicating what is inside

Visitors accessed the upper floor by traversing a relatively undecorated set of well-lit stone stairs. The ceiling on the upper floor was held together by an intricate wooden lattice. The first large room was sparsely decorated relative to the ground floor. Portraits of Spanish nobles hung on the walls, while a glass chandelier hung from the ceiling. This room afforded a beautiful view of the nearby harbor and more modern buildings across the water. A small collection of French clocks sat on marble tables underneath gilt mirrors, providing ideal selfie opportunities. Smaller rooms on this floor were divided by theme, including the office of the governor, paintings and a diorama of early Santo Domingo, and models of military uniforms. Part of the armor and weapon collection once owned by the dictator Rafael Trujillo appeared in a smaller room with signage not updated since the museum’s opening, and I imagined the curatorial staff intended to keep it that way.

Stone Stairs at Museo de las Casa Reales; undecorated set of well-lit stone stairs View from a Second Story Window in Museo de las Casa Reales; the nearby harbor and more modern buildings across the water as seen through an open window with no screen Clock and Mirror in Museo de las Casa Reales; a Rococo style French clock under plexiglass. The clock features three cherubs above a round clockface with a solid base. The clock and plexiglass rest on a stone table. Hung on the wall behind the glass in a mirror in an ornate frame. My smiling face reflects in the mirror
Large Room in the Upper Story of Museo de las Casa Reales; wooden lattice ceiling made of thick beams; portraits of nobles on the walls. A glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Portrait of A Young Nobleman; an oil painting of a child with a long face and long red hair wearing all black French Neoclassical Style Clock; black marble body shaped like a Greco-Roman temple with three pillars on either side of the round, gilt clockface.
Desk and Portraits at the Governor's Office at Museo de las Casa Reales; portraits of three governors hung on the wall behind the desk. A crucifix stands on the desk. Paintings and Chairs Depicting French Soldiers in Hispaniola Another View of the Harbor from an Upper Floor Window at Museo de las Casa Reales; blue sky over smooth water with modern buildings ont he opposite shore. Nearby Buildings Seen through an Upper Floor Window at Museo de las Casa Reales
The Governor's Office at Museo de las Casa Reales; portraits of former governors hang on the wall around the room. In the center is a desk and chairs. A crucifix stands on the desk. Diorama and Paintings of Santo Domingo The Smaller Courtyard Seen from the Upper Floor at Museo de las Casa Reales; a two-story stone building surrounds the stone-paved courtyard
Three French Military Hats and a Sword; the hats are blue with metal eagles at the front. Two of the hats have a brim and a red pompon on top Case with Crossbows of Varying Sizes Case of Japanese Meiji Era Armor

The final highlight of the museum was the audience room. The leader of the government sat on a throne between two advisors at the top of a narrow stage to give court verdicts and proclaim laws as the voice of the king of Spain. Behind the throne was a bright red and yellow tapestry embroidered with a coat of arms symbolizing the monarchy of Spain. This variation was specifically for Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, also called the Catholic Monarchs, who send Cristóbal Colón and subsequent conquistadors to the Caribbean. Round metal plaques depicting the faces of the monarchs hung on either size of the tapestry. This court began operation on October 5, 1511 with Diego Colón acting as governor. A plaque on the back wall commemorated the five hundredth anniversary in 2011.

Audience Room at Museo de las Casa Reales; long room with chair along the right wall. At the far end of the room is a narrow stage with a throne at the top and a chair on either side of the throne. Behind the throne is a red and yellow tapestry embroidered with a coat of arms symbolizing the monarchy of Spain Railing on the Upper Floor Balcony at Museo de las Casa Reales; a tan stone with two rows of x's creating a pattern Back Hallway on the Ground Floor of Museo de las Casa Reales; a great hall paved with red brick with stone arches on the left and right sides.
500th Anniversary Plaque; a black, metal plaque in Spanish commemorating October 5, 2011 Tapestry with the Crest for Ferdinand II and Isabella I; a red tapestry with a golden and red rest in the middle. A black eagle wearing a crown stands behind the crest with its wings shading the crest. Decorative Tile on the Wall at Museo de las Casa Reales; blue, green, yellow, and red patterned tiles about four feet high and stretched the length of a wall

This museum was among my favorite experiences in Santo Domingo. The design of the building to take advantage of natural airflow, in addition to modern fans, kept the space cool even in the middle of the day. The excellent audio tour script supplimented the signage in the exhibits, allowing me to review history I had learned during other museum tours and to discover more about the Dominican. I found a few unconventional places to sit, including wide windowsills and an unbusy floor, but the space would benefit from additional chairs and benches. Like most historic buildings, the upper floor was accessible only by stairs. However, an excellent virtual tour is available on the official website. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost RD$100 (US$1.75) for adults, RD$20 (US$0.35) for children and college students with ID, and RD$10 (US$0.18) for public school students with ID. You will never get this much history at such a price anywhere else. This stop is a must-see for historians visiting the Dominican.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 8/10



Location: C. Las Damas, Santo Domingo 10210, Dominican Republic